•The name ruby comes from the Latin word ruber, which means “red”. •Ruby is t

•The name ruby comes from the Latin word ruber, which means “red”.
•Ruby is the birthstone for July and the gem for the 15th (in the U.S.) and 40th anniversaries.
•Ruby is the most valuable variety of the corundum mineral species.
•Chromium is the trace element that causes ruby’s red, which ranges from an orangey red to a purplish red.
•The strength of ruby’s red depends on how much chromium is present—the more chromium, the stronger the red.
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The Carmen Lúcia Ruby. The 23.1-carat Burmese ruby, set in a platinum ring with diamonds was donated to the Smithsonian by businessman and philanthropist Peter Buck in memory of his wife Carmen Lúcia. The stone was mined from the famous Mogok region of Burma in the 1930s. While sapphire, emerald and diamond gems weighing hundreds of carats exist, high quality Burmese rubies larger than 20 carats are incredibly rare.